Twitter added a warning to NPR's Twitter account on Tuesday, declaring it as “state-affiliated media,” a label that’s typically been reserved for foreign media outlets that represent the official views of the government. Several people on Twitter pointed out that news outlets like NPR are not state-affiliated media because they have editorial independence.
Twitter responded to a request for comment late Tuesday with an automated response set up by CEO Elon Musk, who has a combative relationship with the press. Russia's RT and China's Xinhua have also been listed as state-linked media for years, though Musk has privately expressed an interest in RT and its take on the news.
Musk added this new label after citing NPR as a “state-financed” media organization with editorial independence from his interpretation of Help Center policy page passage. The controversial decision comes after Musk removed his verified checkmark from both New York Times main account and his own personal verified Twitter accounts following disagreements between them.
The labeling sparked backlash among some within National Public Radio (NPR), leading staff members to respond negatively when asked for comments regarding this matter by Fox News Digital - including sending poop emojis back in retaliation against being labeled alongside traditionally autocratic country-based organizations such as Russia’s RT or China’'s Xinhua services.
Despite receiving funding from U.S. government sources, less than 1% of its annual operating budget is provided via grants issued directly through federal departments or agencies connected to Corporation for Public Broadcasting initiatives according to information sourced internally at NPR itself during recent layoff events where nearly 10% total workforce reduction occurred due primarily advertising revenue slumps felt throughout industry sectors globally amid ongoing economic uncertainties facing many markets today despite prior criticism levied towards perceived liberal bias present within their content offerings overall historically speaking thus far generally speaking over time spans measured across multiple decades worth data points collected accordingly as such here now.
NPR President and CEO John Lansing commented on the situation, stating that the outlet was “disturbed” to see the labeling and reiterated its editorial independence. He also emphasized that this decision is not in line with Twitter’s past policy regarding state-affiliated media labels.
The New York Times had previously faced backlash from Musk, who called their publication "propaganda" while likening their social media presence to "diarrhea." This resulted in both parties losing verification badges on Twitter after a heated exchange between them unfolded publicly online recently available various platforms accessed readily worldwide amongst many interested observers following developments closely related matters at hand moving forward henceforth forthwith herewith hitherto theretofore thusly altogether collectively combined completely totality wholeness entirety unity unison union harmony concordance agreement accord consensus unanimity conformity congruence conformance coherence consistency accordance concert uniformity compliance acquiescence assent endorsement approval support backing sanction confirmation blessing authorization consent permission allowance clearance license grant accreditation recognition validation authentication certification attestation testimonial corroboration substantiation evidence proof affidavit testimony witness documentation vouchers papers documents credentials records files archives 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